Slow Cooker Mississippi Sloppy Joes – 🍔🎉🫑 Seasoned ground beef, onions, pepperoncini peppers, and more simmer together in your Crock-Pot to create Mississippi sloppy Joes with the perfect amount of tangy heat that’s balanced with a bit of sweetness! EASY, picky-eater approved, and perfect for busy weeknights, game day parties, graduations, Father’s Day, or casual events!
Table of Contents
- Easy Slow Cooker Mississippi Sloppy Joes Recipe
- More Easy sloppy joe Recipes
- Love Mississippi-Style Recipes?
- Ingredients in Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
- How To Make Sloppy Joes in a Crockpot
- what to serve with sloppy joes
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Sloppy Joes Recipe
- more easy slider and sandwich recipes
Easy Slow Cooker Mississippi Sloppy Joes Recipe
I loved sloppy Joes growing up and to this day, it’s always a family favorite. I’ve never met a picky eater who doesn’t love them! I’ve got a great twist on the classic with this easy recipe.
- These Mississippi sloppy Joes have a tangy heat from the pepperoncini peppers which is nice way to jazz up the flavor without being too spicy.
- There’s a savory aspect from a au jus gravy mix and ranch seasoning.
- And there’s just a hint of sweetness from ketchup and brown sugar to balance out the savoriness.
- As everything simmers in your slow cooker, the flavors marry and the sauce thickens so you’re left with juicy ground beef that’s just begging to be piled high in sandwich buns or over creamy mashed potatoes.
- This is such a great recipe for busy weeknights, especially if you have family members getting home at different times because the recipe holds well in your Crockpot. Everyone can just help themselves when they’re ready!
- Or make this for your next graduation party, Father’s Day celebration, or casual get-together. No one can resist these juicy seasoned Mississippi sloppy Joes.
More Easy sloppy joe Recipes
Love Mississippi-Style Recipes?
If you love the tangy heat of pepperoncini peppers that “Mississippi” recipes are known for, check these out.
- I’ve got a great recipe for Baked Mississippi Chicken with just 5 main ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes.
- And there’s this fabulous Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast which you shouldn’t miss either if you’re craving a Mississippi Roast!
Ingredients in Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
- Ground beef – I recommend lean ground beef that’s 90/10. If you go with fattier ground beef, it could taste a bit greasy and extra lean ground beef will result in less flavor. Wondering if you can use ground turkey or ground chicken? See the FAQs below.
- Yellow onion – This adds so much flavor although you can use a white onion.
- Flavor makers – Ketchup, pepperoncini juice, ranch seasoning packet , au jus gravy packet , brown sugar. Wondering if you have to use the packets? See the FAQs below. Tip – If love garlic, add a teaspoon of garlic powder or Worcestershire sauce too is a nice complimentary ingredient.
- Unsalted butter
- Pepperoncini peppers – You can’t have Mississippi-style Sloppy Joes without these. They’re what make my 5-Ingredient Baked Mississippi Chicken what it is. If you want classic Sloppy Joes, consult that recipe instead.
- Cornstarch – If you want to thicken or tighten up the meat mixture after slow cooking, a tablespoon of corn starch will do the trick.
- Buns – Anything from Hawaiian rolls to Kaiser rolls, classic hamburger buns, brioche buns, sesame seed buns, and more are all great.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Sloppy Joes in a Crockpot
- To a large skillet, brown the ground beef with onions. Crumble the meat as it cooks and then transfer the ground beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker insert.
- Add the ketchup, pepperoncini juice (drain the peppers from the juice), ranch dressing mix, au jus gravy sauce mix, brown sugar, and stir to combine and distribute evenly.
- To the top of the meat mixture, add the pats of butter, pepperoncini peppers, cover, and slow cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or on HIGH for 1-2 hours.
- If your meat mixture is not quite thick enough for your liking, about 30 minutes before the cooking time will be done, you can mix cornstarch with water (or with pepperoncini juice), add it to the Crockpot, stir, and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Serve in buns or over mashed potatoes or with your favorite sides.
what to serve with sloppy joes
Whether you want to serve your sloppy Joes on buns or with baked potato, potato salad, potato chips, or French fries, you can’t go wrong!
Storage
In the Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
In the Freezer: This recipe will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftover meat for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. I’d use 1 pound of a white meat and then use 1 pound of ground beef as a nice compromise.
If you do want to use all two pounds of ground chicken or ground turkey, you’ll want to brown it with a few tablespoons of olive oil. And then possibly you may want to increase the amount of butter to 1/2 cup so they meat has flavor and doesn’t dry out since these variations of protein are so lean.
I’m sure there are, but I haven’t tested to find out what works and what doesn’t. This is a scrumptious dish that takes advantage of these little packets for convenience and ease. If you are opposed to using them or live in a country where they’re not available, this may not be the recipe for you.
It doesn’t matter; whatever works better for you. Slow cookers vary a lot in their heat output and intensity so always cook until the food is done and to your liking and the total time may vary quite a bit in any slow cooker recipe since they are not all created equal. My estimate is 3-4 hours on low, or 1-2 hours on high.
We like them as they are because the pepperoncini peppers are just enough to add texture and flavor. However, you can try tangy coleslaw, fried onion straws, or simply some shredded cheddar cheese.
Slow Cooker Mississippi Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef, (I recommend 90/10 ground beef)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1.5 ounce packet ranch dressing seasoning mix
- 1 ounce packet au jus gravy mix
- 3 tablespoon pepperoncini juice, (plus more if desired with the cornstarch, if using)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup pepperoncini peppers, drained and sliced
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, sliced into pats
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional to thicken juices; mixed with either 1 tbsp water OR 1 tbsp pepperoncini juice
- 8 buns, for serving (or mashed potatoes)
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the ground beef, onions, and cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the ground beef is browned and the onions are soft and translucent. If necessary, add a tablespoon olive oil if the mixture seems dry. Stir and crumble the beef as it cooks to ensure even browning.
- Transfer the beef and onion mixture to the sprayed insert of a 6-quart (or 7-quart slow cooker).
- Add the ketchup, ranch mix, au jus gravy mix, pepperoncini juice, brown sugar, and stir well to combine and distribute evenly.
- Evenly top with the sliced pepperoncini peppers, pats of butter, place the lid on your slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours, or on LOW for 3-4 hours. Stir once or twice during the cooking process. Cook time is approximate and will depend on your slow cooker and how hot (or not hot) it runs as well as ambient kitchen temperature. Cook until done, whatever that means on the clock given your slow cooker.
- Optional – If during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, the meat mixture and sauce is not as thick as you'd like, you can help it tighten up by mixing 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water (or pepperoncini juice if you want more of that flavor/heat), add that slurry to the slow cooker, stir to combine, place the lid back on, and continue slow cooking for another 20-30 minutes, or as necessary. Tip – Everything always looks wetter/more soupy while it's hot and in the slow cooker. When it cools, and as time passes, it will dry out; keep that in mind when you're letting it simmer to not allow the meat mixture to get too dry. After all, these are sloppy Joes.
- Serve in buns or as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Needed a new ground beef recipe
Thanks
Glad to hear this will come in handy!